The Match of the Night

Toss-up, Brock/Hunter was 3 1/2 stars in the cage...and then there was Miguel v. This Foot Ho's Neck.

That's a guillotine legdrop for the uninitiated.  California Slam. 

The 100 Best Players in Basketball History, Part 10

Previous installment is here.

30. Paul Pierce 152.91 SF 1238 .124

Almost identical to Clyde Drexler; Pierce goes on the list just ahead, placing him currently third overall with only 29 players left.  Antawn is out of the top 100; Perkins out of the top 50.

29. Jason Kidd 153 PG 1549 .099

The guy you put him ahead based on career value is Havlicek.  It’s razor thin, but he’s behind Barry. DJ is out of the top 100; Jerry Lucas out of the top 50.

28. Dolph Schayes 156.35 C 1093 .143

Pretty clearly goes into third, behind Pettit and Mikan.  Tiny is out of the top 100, AI out of the top 50.

27. Gary Payton 156.66 G 1489 .105

GP feels like he’d be close to Kidd, right?  Turns out, yes but a little bit better.  He goes ahead of Barry; he goes ahead of Nash; Gary Payton’s career value keeps him ahead of Steve Nash. Hardaway out of the top 100; Sam Jones out of the top 50. 

26. Ray Allen 158.2 SG 1378 .115

Allen beats his former teammate Pierce, probably just for one more season.  Rice out of the top 100; Eddie Jones out of the top 50. 

25. Robert Parish 162.57 C 1795 .091

Now we need to balance the lower per game value with all that career value. Chief’s ahead of GP.  But he’s behind Dantley.  Steve Smith out of the top 100; KJ out of the top 50.

24. Larry Bird 170.66 SF 1061 .161

And we have a new number one; the total value advantage over Mikan beats out Mikan’s per game value.  Isiah, coincidentally, gets bounced from the top 100; Ginobli (for now) out of the top 50.

23. Dan Issel 173.67 C 1351 .129

Issel’s ahead of Parish obviously…ahead of Allen…and Pettit and Schayes.  It’s a debate between he and Mikan; Mikan gets him, but don’t sleep on Dan Issel.  Cassell out of the top 100, Brand out of the top 50.

22. LeBron James 182.1 SF 903 .202

Here’s what I want you to look at – LeBron passes Bird in games played in 2015.  Right now, he has more value than Bird in fewer games.  Right now – right now – LeBron James, with only 21 players yet to come, is the top player on the list. 

21. Hakeem Olajuwon 185.37 C 1383 .134 players yet to come, is the top player on the list. 

Close for number two, but Olajuwon’s total value just clips Bird’s per/game.  It is a race for number two though.  Not number one. 

Only 20 players left – that means the top 80 from the below list will finish in the top 100 overall, and the top 30 will finish in the top 50. 

1.       Lebron James

2.       Hakeem Olajuwon

3.       Larry Bird

4.       George Mikan

5.       Dan Issel

6.       Bob Pettit

7.       Dolph Schayes

8.       Ray Allen

9.       Paul Pierce

10.   Clyde Drexler

11.   Adrian Dantley

12.   Robert Parish

13.   Gary Payton

14.   Steve Nash

15.   Rick Barry

16.   Jason Kidd

17.   John Havlicek

18.   Scottie Pippen

19.   Chauncey Billups

20.   Walt Frazier

21.   Chris Paul

22.   Walt Bellamy

23.   Patrick Ewing

24.   Dwyane Wade

25.   Kevin McHale

26.   Horace Grant

27.   Paul Arizin

28.   Pau Gasol

29.   Bob Lanier

30.   Shawn Marion

31.   Chet Walker

32.   George Gervin

33.   Elgin Baylor

34.   Bailey Howell

35.   Zelmo Beaty

36.   Elvin Hayes

37.   Wes Unseld

38.   Dominique Wilkins

39.   Ed Macauley

40.   Neil Johnston

41.   Dikembe Mutombo

42.   Buck Williams

43.   Jeff Hornacek

44.   Larry Nance

45.   Jack Sikma

46.   Vince Carter

47.   Dwight Howard

48.   Rasheed Wallace

49.   Bill Laimbeer

50.   Terry Porter

51.   Maurice Cheeks

52.   Detlef Schrempf

53.   Elton Brand

54.   Manu Ginobli

55.   Kevin Johnson

56.   Eddie Jones

57.   Sam Jones

58.   Allen Iverson

59.   Jerry Lucas

60.   Sam Perkins

61.   Bobby Jones

62.   Otis Thorpe

63.   Sidney Moncrief

64.   Chris Bosh

65.   Hal Greer

66.   Ben Wallace

67.   Tracy McGrady

68.   Alex English

69.   Grant Hill

70.   Tony Parker

71.   Bob Cousy

72.   Dave Cowens

73.   Amare Stoudemire

74.   Alonzo Mourning

75.   Vern Mikkelson

76.   Bill Sharman

77.   Dennis Rodman

78.   Vlade Divac

79.   Hersey Hawkins

80.   Bob McAdoo

81.   AC Green

82.   Lenny Wilkens

83.   Shawn Kemp

84.   Jimmy Jones

85.   Jason Terry

86.   Cliff Hagan

87.   Anthony Mason

88.   Chris Mullin

89.   James Worthy

90.   Rashard Lewis

91.   Andre Miller

92.   Marques Johnson

93.   Bobby Dandridge

94.   Chris Webber

95.   Harry Gallatin

96.   Peja Stojakovic

97.   Joe Dumars

98.   Dale Davis

99.   PJ Brown

100.                        Mark Jackson

The 100 Best Players in Basketball History, Part 9

Previous installment is here.

40 players left.  We are getting down to it.

40. Horace Grant 138.23 PF 1335 .104

He’ll go ahead of Chet Walker..and Marion…and Lanier, that career value really starts to spread as we move up the list.  He winds up just behind McHale.  Odom is out of the top 100, Tony Parker (for now?) out of the top 50. 

39. Patrick Ewing 140.51 C 1322 .106

Ewing’s ahead of Grant; does he get McHale…yup.  Ewing gets all the way to Bellamy. Strickland is out of the top 100, Grant Hill out of the top 50.

38. Steve Nash 141.51 PG 1122 .126

Still ahead of CP3.  All the way to #2. McGinnis out of the top 100; English out of the top 50.

37. Chauncey Billups 141.65 PG 1170 .121

Maybe the most underappreciated all time great; he’s just under Nash by an inch. Camby out of the top 100, TMac out of the top 50.

36. Rick Barry 142.1 SF 1125 .126

Barry and Nash with super similar numbers. 

35. Adrian Dantley 143.21 SF 1028 .139

Look how great Dantley was – he’s clearly the new number two. Harper/Murphy out of the top 100; Greer and Wallace out of the top 50.

34. Bob Pettit 147.79 PF 880 .168

And now Robert E Lee Pettit zips right past Dantley.  Michael Finley out of the top 100, Bosh out of the top 50.

33. Scottie Pippen 148.66 SF 1386 .107

Where to put Pippen…how about right between Barry and Billups.  Maxwell out of the top 100, Moncrief out of the top 50. 

32. John Havlicek 150.99 SF 1442 .105

Hondo gets by Pippen.  Majerle out of the top 100; Otis Thorpe out of the top 50. 

31. Clyde Drexler 151.07 G 1231 .123

Drexler goes by Dantley; he’s the new number three as we finish this section. 

Hudson out of the top 100, Bobby Jones from the top 50.

30 left – that means everyone currently in the top 20 is one of the 50 greatest basketball players who ever lived.  That means Dantley.  Billups.  Grant.  Gasol.  All in that 50 best players ever list.

1.       George Mikan

2.       Bob Pettit

3.       Clyde Drexler

4.       Adrian Dantley

5.       Steve Nash

6.       Rick Barry

7.       John Havlicek

8.       Scottie Pippen

9.       Chauncey Billups

10.   Walt Frazier

11.   Chris Paul

12.   Walt Bellamy

13.   Patrick Ewing

14.   Dwyane Wade

15.   Kevin McHale

16.   Horace Grant

17.   Paul Arizin

18.   Pau Gasol

19.   Bob Lanier

20.   Shawn Marion

21.   Chet Walker

22.   George Gervin

23.   Elgin Baylor

24.   Bailey Howell

25.   Zelmo Beaty

26.   Elvin Hayes

27.   Wes Unseld

28.   Dominique Wilkins

29.   Ed Macauley

30.   Neil Johnston

31.   Dikembe Mutombo

32.   Buck Williams

33.   Jeff Hornacek

34.   Larry Nance

35.   Jack Sikma

36.   Vince Carter

37.   Dwight Howard

38.   Rasheed Wallace

39.   Bill Laimbeer

40.   Terry Porter

41.   Maurice Cheeks

42.   Detlef Schrempf

43.   Elton Brand

44.   Manu Ginobli

45.   Kevin Johnson

46.   Eddie Jones

47.   Sam Jones

48.   Allen Iverson

49.   Jerry Lucas

50.   Sam Perkins

51.   Bobby Jones

52.   Otis Thorpe

53.   Sidney Moncrief

54.   Chris Bosh

55.   Hal Greer

56.   Ben Wallace

57.   Tracy McGrady

58.   Alex English

59.   Grant Hill

60.   Tony Parker

61.   Bob Cousy

62.   Dave Cowens

63.   Amare Stoudemire

64.   Alonzo Mourning

65.   Vern Mikkelson

66.   Bill Sharman

67.   Dennis Rodman

68.   Vlade Divac

69.   Hersey Hawkins

70.   Bob McAdoo

71.   AC Green

72.   Lenny Wilkens

73.   Shawn Kemp

74.   Jimmy Jones

75.   Jason Terry

76.   Cliff Hagan

77.   Anthony Mason

78.   Chris Mullin

79.   James Worthy

80.   Rashard Lewis

81.   Andre Miller

82.   Marques Johnson

83.   Bobby Dandridge

84.   Chris Webber

85.   Harry Gallatin

86.   Peja Stojakovic

87.   Joe Dumars

88.   Dale Davis

89.   PJ Brown

90.   Mark Jackson

91.   Charles Oakley

92.   Terry Cummings

93.   Sam Cassell

94.   Isiah Thomas

95.   Steve Smith

96.   Glen Rice

97.   Tim Hardaway

98.   Tiny Archibald

99.   Dennis Johnson

100.                        Antawn Jamison